The United States-dominated world order is in meltdown. Its foremost client state, Israel, that forced it into war with Iran, has abandoned the battlefield and is fighting civilians in Lebanon. As America prepares for a ground invasion of Iran, Israel has confirmed that its soldiers will not join the fray.
While a new world order has yet to crystallise, allies and others are asserting themselves. Iran will be the hegemon in the Gulf, as the US-Israel lose ground. Qatar saw the merits of neutrality (March 19, 2026), but has been pulled back into the war. Iraq (liberated from NATO-US occupation) has joined Iran’s side. The Yemeni Houthi rebels have joined Iran. The Gulf states, though still aligned with the US, view the military bases on their territory as a liability.
The United Arab Emirates urged a diplomatic agreement after Iran attacked Abu Dhabi’s economic zone on March 28, 2026. Egypt announced that it will not go against Iran. In Bahrain and Syria, citizens are revolting against the monarchy and the ISIS regime respectively.
The end of the war will see changes: Palestine, including the West Bank and Gaza will be free. The Caribbean island nation of Cuba will benefit. Russia has enhanced its economic heft thanks to the oil crisis (oil revenue doubled to $24 billion in March 2026). China retains its status due to its manufacturing prowess in almost every economic sector, its cutting-edge technologies, and control over rare earth minerals that are critical to much of vital modern technology.
Europe and Japan have no geostrategic leverage in the current conflict. Türkeyi is supporting Iran, as are Brazil and Indonesia. South Africa took Israel to the International Criminal Court for crimes in Gaza; it has been disinvited from the G20 in Florida, US. India will benefit from the retreat of US power from South and West Asia, which will happen during its chairmanship of BRICS.
Oil Economics
The world sees the conflict as a ruse to grab Iran’s oil and gas. President Trump stated: “My favourite thing is to TAKE THE OIL from Iran…” (March 30, 2026). The US seized control of Iraqi oil after invading the country in 2003 (USD 145 billion per annum went to the US Federal Reserve Bank). The US controlled Kuwaiti oil after the 1991 war in Iraq, and Libyan oil after Gaddafi. The same is happening in Venezuela.
Before the war, Iran produced around 1.1 million barrels of oil/day. Currently, it produces 3.6 mn barrels/day, and sells it at $120 per barrel, with receipts in Yuan. Petrochemical sales have also increased. Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President, Quincy Institute, observed that the war has given Iran sanctions relief, so it has no reason to end the war unless sanctions are completely removed.
Palmachim
Iran claims to have destroyed Palmachim, Israel’s secret space and military facility, its launch site for spy satellites, missile tests, and advanced space programs (March 30, 2026). It has wreaked havoc on the US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. The US had to evacuate 10,000 citizens from Israel (Mar 16, 2026). Its retreat enabled Türkiye to reclaim the Incirlik airbase.
Iranian attacks on Israel include the PM’s office, Mossad and Aman headquarters, and IDF defence facilities; the country’s two oil refineries and largest petrochemical complex; Ben Gurion International Airport, and the Sorek water treatment facility. Panicked citizens are fleeing to Egypt or Jordan by land, or by chartered plane to Cyprus. Israel’s attack on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility was countered with strikes on its own Dimona nuclear power plant and reserch centre. It hit the second US F-35 fighter jet on March 26, 2026. The first, invisible on radar, was tracked vide its heat signature on March 19, 2026.
In an astute move, Tehran permitted nations buying oil in yuan to pass through the Hormuz, and some tankers from Pakistan, China, India, Turkey, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, UAE and Japan moved through the Strait. The de-dollarisation of the world economy moved a step forward.
Stunned by Iran’s capabilities, President Trump announced a “pause” against Iran’s energy infrastructure until April 6, 2026. Tel Aviv promptly bombed all three of Iran’s largest steel plants simultaneously, and also struck Iran’s Khondab heavy-water reactor facility and uranium production and uranium-conversion sites. On March 29, 2026, the University of Science and Technology in Tehran was gutted. Tehran, which ha already destroyed part of Israel’s Technion Institute in Israel, warned that American universities in West Asia would henceforth be legitimate targets.
Washington’s claims to be negotiating with Iran via Pakistan were denied by Tehran and Tel Aviv. Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Special Envoy, Foreign Ministry of Israel, said, “I don’t know what the Pakistanis think they’re doing… They are themselves a huge problem in the world of jihadi terrorism…” (ANI)
Pope Leo XIV
Since the end of the Second World War, no Pope has actively campaigned against an American war. However, US-born Pope Leo XIV called the Iran war ‘atrocious’ during Palm Sunday Mass, exhorted Christian soldiers to promote peace, ordered Catholic politicians supporting the war to go to confession, called for a permanent ban on aerial bombing, and demanded a ceasefire.
Fractures in Israel and America
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett came on live TV recently and blamed Netanyahu for the October 7, 2025. He pointed that Netanyahu funded Hamas and Hezbollah for years. American activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated after he suspected the Netanyahu regime’s connivance to allow October 7, 2025, as a pretext to ethnically cleanse Gaza.
Netanyahu’s coveted war has not gone well. The IDF chief Eyal Zamir has publicly warned that Israel has collapsed psychologically, with civilians fleeing the country and soldiers abandoning the army: “The army is collapsing; no soldiers remain.” There are growing anti-war protests in Israel.
In the US, troops in the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and on warships headed to the Middle East are filing emergency Conscientious Objector claims to stop their deployment. The Center on Conscience and War (CCW) recorded a 1,000 percent increase in new conscientious objectors since the war began on February 28, 2026 (CNN). Many said the strike on the Minab girls’ school triggered their decision. Mike Prysner, Executive Director, CCW, told Democracy Now! that the soldiers are not afraid of dying, but ‘They’re scared of killing in a war they don’t believe in.’
New ‘Promised’ Lands
The Balfour Declaration and its plan to create the State of Israel in Palestine have failed as Israeli Settlers flee in droves and seek new land in Africa. So far, 1.4 million have settled in the Western Cape province of South Africa and are demanding its independence. Many saw the writing on the wall and began settling in Mauritius, Morocco, Kenya, Rwanda, Liberia, Namibia, Zambia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Ghana and Botswana, not to forget Argentina.
Cyprus’s second largest political party, the Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL), has protested against the growing numbers of Israelis on the island, who are buying property near critical infrastructure and could try to set up ‘Israel 2.0’. Israelis are allegedly using counterfeit passports to acquire land in the Greek part of Cyprus.
In Greece, local activists successfully blocked hundreds of Israelis from disembarking after Israel claimed it would take over all the Greek islands to settle an alleged debt of 400 billion dollars from the Second World War. It demanded that Christian Greeks vacate the islands so that Israeli Jews could move in.
Lebanon
Soon after Prime Minister Netanyahu disappeared from the scene (Mar 9, 2026), Israel began to focus on South Lebanon. It flattened villages with massive bombs, even white phosphorus (banned by the UN). Israel is bombing hospitals in Iran and Lebanon, as it did in Gaza (128 in Lebanon, 25 in Iran).
Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, admitted ordering “an acceleration in the destruction of Lebanese homes in contact-line villages… in accordance with the model of Beit Hanun and Rafah in Gaza” (Mar 22, 2026). Katz said Israel will occupy southern Lebanon up to the Litani River for the long-term.
In response, Hezbollah destroyed over 100 advanced Merkava tanks in just 15 days. Israeli media have reported that at least 10 helicopters were deployed to evacuate dead and wounded soldiers in southern Lebanon. President Assad is said to have transferred most of Syria’s best weapons to Hezbollah before his regime fell. Hezbollah is now fighting inside Israel in the Galilee region, capturing several outposts in Kiryat Shmona and Metula.
Undaunted by its reverses, the Knesset on March 30, 2026, passed a bill to award the death penalty to Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis in acts of “terror”; this will not apply to Jewish Israelis convicted of killing Palestinians. Hundreds of prisoners are expected to be executed in the next few weeks. Netanyahu reportedly voted for the bill, but there were no clear visuals in the videos.
Mystery
Prime Minister Netanyahu has not indisputably been seen in public since March 9, 2026. Unconfirmed reports claim that the Wings of Zion, the Israeli Prime Minister’s official plane, has been parked at a specialised US Army hospital in Landstuhl, Germany, near the Ramstein Air Base for several days.
References
1) US Forces at Saudi Air Base Suffer Iranian Attack, Air & Space Forces Magazine, March 27, 2026.
2) Iran-US War News Update: Donald Trump Announces ‘Five-Day Pause’ on Strikes Against Iranian Power Plants After ‘Productive’ Talks on Truth Social, March 23, 2026.
3) US F-35 aircraft makes emergency landing after a combat mission over Iran, Al Jazeera, March 19, 2026.
4) US Troops Told To ‘Get Ready’ For Iran As Conscientious Objection Requests Surge ‘1,000%’ And Fears Grow Among Ranks, International Business Times, March 25, 2026.
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/us-troops-conscientious-objector-middle-east-1788228?utm_source=perplexity
5) Zamir said to warn cabinet that IDF will ‘collapse in on itself’ amid manpower shortage, The Times of Israel, March 27, 2026.
6) Israel’s parliament passes death penalty bill targeting Palestinians, Al Jazeera, March 30, 2026.
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